Venous
by Yara Meijer
Summary: In which Raimon worries, Tenma keeps dismissing his own well-being - he should stop doing that - and lots of people start to notice the very concerning bruises. And no, it doesn't actually reassure them when they find out what the real problem is - after all, Tenma doesn't let it stop him from doing stupid things (which he definitely should, in his friends' humble opinions).
1. Chapter 1

**Hey hey~!**

 **Yep, _another_ story, even though I'm still working on Warped, Still, Time Twins, Out Of Sight, Accidental Reverse, and a bunch of other things. Hey, I never claimed I was smart ****¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

 **On the bright side, this isn't going to be longer than a three-shot, so it shouldn't be too much work. Besides, this idea just wouldn't leave me alone and I had to get it out of my head!**

 **Anyway, welcome to the first chapter of Venous! I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

It's the night after Tenma's first match with Raimon's team – _he played on Raimon's team, oh god oh god oh_ god! – when he notices it.

He has just pulled his shirt off, throwing it on his bed so he won't forget to put it in the laundry basket later, reaching for his pajama shirt, when he catches sight of the dark discoloring on his arm. He inhales sharply and pulls his arm closer to inspect it, wincing.

The brunet reluctantly admits that he should've anticipated this, but yet… it had _hurt,_ definitely, but he hadn't expected to find his entire arm a sickening mix of black and purple, with hints of bright red standing out between the dark colors.

Almost afraid at what he'll find, Tenma moves to the mirror and hisses sharply at the sight of his torso. The right side of his ribcage is mapped in black, purple and dark red, with a thin edge of brighter red at the outside. It spreads out, down to his stomach and hip, and upwards to his shoulder and arm.

The left side of his body, while certainly not unharmed, is much better. A dark purple bruise on his shoulder, lighter bruising on his lower arm and stomach, but other than that, the only stains on his skin are a few older and smaller yellow bruises.

Tenma grimaces at the sight of his body and turns around, looking over his shoulder to catch sight of his back in the mirror. Mostly on his shoulders and upper back is the same chaotic mix of black, dark red and purple, as if someone splashed paint together without caring about the horrid mess it leaves behind.

With a sigh, the brunet grabs his pajama shirt and pulls it on, wincing at the soreness in his body – yeah, okay, he should've expected the bruising, but this is still a little… over the top.

He continues getting ready to go to sleep and soon crawls into bed, turning the light on his nightstand off and watching as the room is flooded with shadows. As he lies under the covers, he makes a mental note to put on some concealer to hide the new bruises. He's not too bothered by it, though – there's something else at the front of his mind right now.

He's finally going to join the Raimon soccer club!

* * *

Shinsuke at first doesn't notice it.

He's just started at Raimon Jr. High and joined the soccer team, and while that isn't exactly what he was expecting, it's not so bad. He's already become friends with Tenma and Aoi, and they're really great! He and Tenma have been going to the riverbank ever since the entrance exam three days ago, and yesterday the brunet asked if he wanted to come over for dinner tonight!

That's why the two boys are now on their way to Kogarashi Manor, the manor where Tenma is renting a room. It was a little strange for Shinsuke to imagine the other boy already living without his parents, but after he met the brunet's relative, Kino Aki, it turned out that Tenma still has someone to take care of him. The other residents of the manor who he has met so far seem nice, too.

''Ah,'' says Tenma suddenly, realizing something, ''there will be some of my neighbors too… I hope that's okay? I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I forgot…'' he chuckles sheepishly.

Shinsuke merely beams at him. ''No, it's okay, I don't mind! Who will be there?''

The brunet tilts his head as he counts on his fingers. ''Uh… Aki-nee, Kaedeno-san, Johnny-san, Tsukimi-san, Kazeani-san and Kuriyama-san. Kuriyama-san is a bit grumpy, but he's actually a big softie at heart so don't worry. Don't tell him I said that, though!''

They continue chatting away and soon reach the Manor. Tenma stops for a moment to pet Sasuke and then opens the door and steps inside, inviting Shinsuke in. They both take off their shoes and the brunet darts down the corridor to what Shinsuke knows to be the mutual living room. ''We're home!''

Shinsuke joins him and curiously looks at his friend's neighbors. There's a very big man, but he seems quite nice, who wears a pink hat and seems to be knitting something. Next to him is a girl who seems to be of high school age, who is writing something on a yellow paper. There's a young woman, reading a book, and an old man who is scowling at the documentary he's watching on TV – would that be Kuriyama?

They return Tenma's greeting in various stages of enthusiasm, with Kuriyama's being nothing more than a noncommittal grunt. The brunet doesn't seem to care though and instead turns around and moves towards the stairs, the other boy following him quickly.

Shinsuke is familiar with the brunet's room by now, having been there a few times, and the two pass the time until dinner by playing games. Aki eventually calls them and they move down the stairs again, through the corridor and the living room to the other side of the room, where a large table with about fifteen chairs is standing.

There are a few people are seated at the table. The young woman from before and Kuriyama, and a young man with glasses. ''These are Kaedeno-san, Kuriyama-san and Johnny-san. Everyone, this is my friend Nishizono Shinsuke.''

''It's nice to meet you, Nishizono-kun,'' greets Kaedeno with a kind smile and Johnny waves cheerfully, while Kuriyama only grunts again.

Tenma and Shinsuke sit down and soon enough, a young man with blue hair joins them, introduced as Tsukimi. Not long after, Aki and an older woman come in with their food. The woman cheerfully introduces herself as Kazeani and with that, they start eating the delicious meal.

They make small talk during dinner and while Shinsuke feels a bit shy in the presence of these unfamiliar adults, Tenma chats away without a concern in the world. Not that it's surprising, reflects the smaller boy eventually, since his friend _does_ live with these people.

After dinner they return to Tenma's room again so that Shinsuke can retrieve his bag. As he does so, the brunet starts unbuttoning the jacket of his school uniform. ''Ah, you don't mind, do you?''

Shinsuke shakes his head as he checks his bag to make sure everything is still there. ''Of course not,'' he says and Tenma grins and pulls off the blue jacket. He wears a white t-shirt underneath it.

As the brunet grabs the jacket to put it away, Shinsuke sees it.

Dark splashes of color cover his friend's arm. Black and purple and an angry red, starting just below his elbow and going upwards, higher and higher and eventually being covered by the short sleeves of the t-shirt he wears.

''H-how did you get those bruises?'' the question has left his lips before he can even fully think about it.

Tenma, who turned around when Shinsuke started to speak, self-consciously covers his arm with his hand – not that it does much, considering the bruise is far larger than just his hand – and glances to the side, looking just a bit uncomfortable at the sudden change in topic. ''It's nothing,'' he tells the smaller boy, ''I just bruise easily.''

The grotesque discoloring on the brunet's arm is far worse than just 'bruising easily', but Shinsuke has enough tact not to state his doubt for his friend to hear. The way Tenma bites on his lip tells the defender that it's clear from his expression what he's thinking anyway.

Shinsuke catches sight of Tenma's other one, the smooth one – or, at least, that's what he thought, but on closer inspection, there are a few smaller purple blotches there as well.

The silence is become really uncomfortable so the defender tries to break it somehow. ''How- I would've noticed them during practice…'' he stutters eventually, the unspoken _but I didn't_ ringing clearly between them. ''So how…?''

Tenma grimaces. ''I normally use concealer to cover them,'' he mutters awkwardly. ''But, um… I don't want it to stain my uniform, so, well, I put it on before practice and take it off afterwards.''

Neither of them really knows what to say after that, so Shinsuke eventually glances at the clock and mutters something about going home. Tenma nods and walks him to the door, waving at the smaller boy, but the awkwardness is still almost tangible between them, despite their attempts to ignore it.

Shinsuke doesn't mention the bruises again after that and Tenma seems to be relieved by that. The smaller boy, however, doesn't forget about them.

The next few days during practice, he inspects his friend closely when the brunet isn't paying attention, and he finally sees the smudges of concealer on his skin and the barely there discolorations.

And when, the day after their match against Tengawara, Tenma comes in with an even thicker layer of concealer and more barely noticeable smutches of color on his arms, and even a few on his legs, Shinsuke resolves to keep paying very close attention to his friend.

* * *

Shindou hasn't said anything about it.

He hasn't approached Matsukaze, or Nishizono, after he noticed that the new defender is seeing it too.

Instead he's been watching the brunet closely, if distantly.

He saw it quickly. It took him a while to figure out _what_ exactly was wrong with the cheerful yet annoying new midfielder, but there was something that caught his attention. It's about two days after meeting Matsukaze for the first time that it finally clicks.

His arms aren't the right color in some spaces. Shindou usually wouldn't pay attention to that – why would he care if someone's _skin_ isn't the same color everywhere – but it only takes him one look after the realization settled in to find that no, that wasn't skin.

Concealer.

The puzzle pieces fall into place immediately after that and while there are a lot of blanks left, the soccer genius has his suspicions.

And so he watches quietly, looking for any other clues to the mystery.

He's a bit concerned, but not much. Nothing's been proven yet and while obviously he doesn't want anything to actually happen to Matsukaze, he has to admit that the younger boy is pretty annoying, with his whole idiocy of going against Fifth Sector. And so he watches from the sidelines, cold and calculating and not willing to get involved unless he absolutely has to.

Nothing else stands out and Matsukaze is just like any other first-year, although he's definitely the most annoying. Other than the time during practice he suddenly got a nosebleed out of nowhere, there's absolutely nothing that indicates he's hurt somehow – even though the concealer is there every day.

But then, they play that match against Eito and coach Kudou is replaced by coach Endou.

Matsukaze becomes Tenma and suddenly the slight concern from before turns to blinding, painstaking _worry_ and Shindou can't pretend not to be affected anymore.

He still pays close attention to the brunet but now that he's started a tentative friendship with the younger boy – who really isn't all that bad, he finds – the mere idea of what could've been the cause for such bruises horrifies him.

After the Tengawara match, in which he stated clearly which side he is on now, he notices more discolored skin hidden with concealer, sees the way Tenma winces if he moves too abruptly.

And nothing frustrates him more than standing on the side and seeing the young brunet's injuries, but the rational part of him screams that he needs to know more before he confronts his new friend.

So, however unwilling he might be, Shindou keeps quiet and watches.

* * *

It's a few days after their match against Teikoku (he's been a part of Raimon for a month already!) and Tenma is in the changing room, sitting on one of the benches and looking through his bag. Practice will start shortly and _he can't find his concealer._

After going through his bag for the third time, he has to accept defeat. He forgot to put the concealer in his bag that morning.

The brunet bites his lip, hesitantly trying to find a solution. He could pretend not to feel well and sit today's practice out, but he really can't afford to waste a day of practicing if they want to beat Fifth Sector.

And besides… Shinsuke has already seen the bruises, right? It won't be _that_ bad if his team sees them too.

There's not much time until practice starts. Tenma, hidden behind the lockers as he always is when he changes and applies his concealer, can hear his teammates leaving the changing room.

He has to admit, it was actually a relief that his team didn't like him very much at first – that way, they didn't bother to ask about his privacy habits when they changed into their uniforms, and by now they've gotten so used to it they don't question it.

With a grimace, the brunet unbuttons his jacket and pulls it off, looking at his arms. It's been a little over a week since the last match – against Mannouzaka – where he actually got a bad beating, but the bruises are still painfully visible. While not black anymore, the dark purple and red isn't going to fade for a few more days. Beneath that are even _more_ bruises, still from the Tengawara match, although they're green and yellow instead of their darker counterparts.

He really looks like a painting gone wrong.

Tenma sighs and finishes changing quickly, grimacing again at the sight of the bruises on his legs – not as bad as those on his arms, but still… not very reassuring.

Eventually there's no reason to prolong the wait any longer and the brunet makes his way to the clubroom, where his other teammates are gathered and waiting for coach Endou. The young midfielder slips through the door and moves to stand by the wall, right hand holding his left wrist lightly and teeth scraping over his lower lip nervously.

His hopes of remaining undetected are wiped away when Aoi and Shinsuke move over to him, their cheerful smiles fading when they catch sight of the stark color contrasts on his arms and legs.

''Tenma…'' Shinsuke trails off as they join the brunet by the wall, his expression so full of worry the brunet feels a sharp pang of guilt at hiding the truth from him.

Aoi, too, looks incredibly concerned as she takes in his appearance, but she also looks resigned. Tenma's guilt increases tenfold at that – his childhood friend has seen his bruises before, and through all the years she has respected his wish of privacy, but it's clear that it's hard for her.

So he tries to plaster on a smile, but it feels weak and feeble. ''I'm fine, don't worry,'' he tells his two friends, attempting to make his voice sound light. ''Just forgot my concealer today.''

He winces at the looks from the two other first-years.

They're both aware that he wears concealer, and they're also both painfully aware of the reason _why_ he wears it.

''It doesn't hurt,'' he tells them and it's not a lie – it hurt at first, and putting too much pressure on it makes it ache, but he can walk and run without too much trouble. Shinsuke and Aoi seem to detect the honesty in his words, for they both smile, albeit with a touch of dejection.

His friends at least seem to realize he'd rather not talk about it any longer and instead they start discussing their homework for next week. Tenma has relaxed slightly, the tenseness and worry fading away, when-

''What the _fuck?''_

Kurama's exclamation is heard loudly through the clubroom, and Sangoku glares at him. ''Language!'' he scolds, but the forward isn't paying him any attention.

Instead he's staring straight at Tenma and the brunet winces.

The third-year seems speechless and the rest of the team is quickly catching on that something is actually wrong, and it's a few moments later that they follow his stare and finally notice their newest midfielder… and the dark splotches of sickening colors.

Tenma shies away, pressing himself against the wall and wishing he could fall through it. Unfortunately that's not possible and the brunet resigns himself to staying quiet and cautiously trying to gauge his teammates' reactions.

Kurama has gotten over his shock and there's something dark in his eyes, narrowed into a sharp glare as he scrutinizes the brunet. The rest of the third-years – Kurumada, Sangoku and Amagi – share the same dark _something_ in their expressions, but instead of anger, there are various stages of concern mixed in with their shock.

Hamano and Hayami are both gaping at the brunet, still seemingly shaken by the sight. Akane and Midori are much the same, though there's something angry in Midori's gaze – but it's not directed at Tenma.

Tsurugi's eyes are wide and his mouth is slightly agape, as if he wants to say something but can't think of the words. It's one of the first times Tenma has seen an emotion on him other than anger or annoyance.

Kirino's eyebrows are drawn together in alarm and his gaze is sharp and concerned, but it's Shindou who really catches Tenma's attention. The captain has closed his eyes and when he opens them again, he's frowning, but there's nothing of the shock of the rest of the team in his face, as if… as if he already knew.

''Tenma, are you _okay?''_ asks Sangoku as he crosses the distance between them and gently takes one of the brunet's wrist for closer inspection. Said brunet would rather pull his arm away, but the touch is so gentle and the keeper looks so worried that he can't bring himself to do it.

Instead he nods, staying silent and allows Sangoku, after a moment of hesitation, to pull him to one of the benches. The keeper gently pushes against his shoulder and Tenma takes the hint and sits down, very much aware of his teammates drawing closer and surrounding him.

''What happened?'' asks Sangoku when it becomes clear the brunet won't say anything. The others seem to want to know the answer to that question as well, but Tenma only shrugs in response and doesn't say anything. The keeper doesn't seem happy with that answer but isn't about to force him to talk. ''When did you get these?'' he tries instead, hoping for an answer.

He gets one, but it's not from Tenma. ''He already had them around the time he joined the team,'' says Shindou and all eyes are drawn to him. His stare doesn't waver from the youngest midfielder on the team. The brunet swallows and looks down, his suspicion that the game maker knew proven correct.

''Shindou, you knew?'' asks Kirino sharply and finally the captain looks away, sharing a quick look with his best friend that hides an unspoken conversation.

Shindou nods and addresses the whole team in his answer. ''I noticed the day after the entrance exam,'' he says simply. ''It was pretty well hidden, concealer, I think, but your skin isn't the right color in some spots,'' he tells Tenma. ''After a closer look it wasn't hard to figure it out, but… I didn't think it was this bad.''

His voice is finally giving away some of the deep concern he actually feels and Tenma self-consciously caresses the darkest bruises, glancing up through his bangs and finally looking at his captain.

The older boy's brows are furrowed, not in anger but in worry, and his gaze softens when he notices the young brunet looking at him. The compassion in his eyes is enough to convince Tenma to say something.

''I- it's nothing,'' he mutters finally, biting his lip at the sharp and doubting looks from his friends. ''I mean, it looks worse than it actually is, I- I just bruise really easily.'' He can see they still don't believe him and he keeps talking, stumbling over his words. ''The… the matches we've played so far, especially against Mannouzaka and Tengawara… I mean, that's where the bruises are from.'' The boy smiles tightly, trying to wave their concern away. ''R-really, it's nothing, I- it's my own fault, really, I knew this would happen so…'' he trails off.

The silence lasts for barely thirty seconds yet it's very, very uncomfortable.

''I was hurt too during the match against Mannouzaka,'' states Tsurugi and it seems he has finally recovered from his shock, his eyes instead sharp and alert as he looks at Tenma, ''more so than you, actually, and I'm much paler. And yet the few bruises I got from it faded away days ago.''

It's not an accusation, really, but Tenma flinches anyway.

While his other teammates don't really seem approving of Tsurugi's methods, they're clearly on his side.

And suddenly he feels angry.

''Leave it!''

The loud sound ripples through the room and under Raimon's shocked gazes, Tenma shoots up from the bench and takes a few steps away from them. ''I told you, I'm fine! I'm used to this anyway so stop it already!''

They stare at him in shock – it's the first time they've seen him angry like this. The brunet returns their gazes with a heated one of his own, but then seems to realize what he just said as his anger dies down instantly.

He looks horrified at his own words for a single moment and then bows, his face hidden behind his hair. ''I-I'm sorry, I had no right to get angry like that,'' he mutters, straightening and not meeting any of their gazes.

No one stops him as he slips out of the door.

* * *

Tenma doesn't speak to them much during practice and stays out of Endou and Haruna's sight, as far away from the bench as possible at all times. Once practice is finished and they all move to the changing room, he quickly changes out of his uniform and leaves before anyone else. They let him go.

Once Tenma is out of sight and they're alone – Haruna and Endou are off doing whatever duties they usually attend to once practice is concluded – they move to the clubroom in an unspoken agreement. Even Tsurugi joins them.

''Shindou,'' says Kirino, his gaze uncharacteristically sharp, breaking the tense silence, ''you said you noticed almost a month ago. I think we all know you well enough to know that you have done your thinking about this.''

The captain nods and like his best friend said, no one is surprised by that. ''I have,'' he agrees, ''but before I want to share my thoughts, I need to ask some questions.'' His eyes settle on Tenma's two good friends, who fidget a little under the heavy stares. ''Shinsuke, you noticed it before as well, didn't you?''

The defender nods awkwardly, shying away under all the looks. ''Y-yes,'' he agrees, his voice wavering a little. ''T-Tenma and I spent a lot of time at the riverbank at the start of the year and a few days before the match against Eito, he invited me over for dinner…'' Shinsuke swallows, fiddling with the strap of his bag. ''It went well, but- but when I was about to leave, Tenma took off his uniform jacket. I-I think he forgot about the… the bruises,'' he has to pause there for a moment, ''and when I asked, he didn't really want to talk about it… he just told me he bruises easily and that he normally uses concealer to cover them.''

Shindou nods, already expecting something like that. ''I see,'' he hums softly and his gaze shifts towards their youngest manager. ''Aoi, you've known Tenma the longest. Have you ever…?''

Aoi is nodding before he even finished talking. ''I have,'' she says, speaking with some sort of quiet resolve. ''The first time I saw them, I think we were… nine?''

More than one person flinches at the idea of a nine-year-old Tenma – _cheerful, oblivious, happy-go-lucky Tenma_ – with the same bruises they were forced to see during the whole practice today.

''I was really shocked,'' continues Aoi after a short hesitation. ''I saw them a lot. Back then he didn't hide them yet, but they also weren't- weren't this bad,'' her voice breaks, ''so he could get away with saying he was clumsy. But… but every time I saw him, he'd have some kind of injury, mostly bruises. He had a lot of random nosebleeds, too, still does. He already practiced soccer back then and he always said it was because of that, but there were just… so _many._ And- and eventually he started using concealer to hide them and no matter how many times I asked, he'd always close up so eventually I just… stopped.''

Her hands are clenching her skirt tightly and Midori has pulled her into a half hug to offer some comfort. She definitely looks like she needs it and Shindou can't help but feel guilty for forcing her to relive those memories.

The captain bites his lip and crosses his arms, frowning as he thinks over everything he's just learned. He's aware of the team watching him, waiting for his reaction, and eventually Kirino asks him what's on all their minds. ''Shindou, what do you think?''

There's only one thing he thinks and he turns his gaze back to Aoi, hating himself for having to ask this. ''How is his home life?''

It suddenly feels ten degrees colder in the room and it's very, very silent.

''Shindou…'' Sangoku's voice is thick with worry when he eventually finds it. ''You can't actually think that he's…''

The captain grits his teeth. ''I hope I'm wrong, but the signs are all there,'' he manages to say and no one can deny that.

''What is going on?'' asks Shinsuke, partly confused and partly fearful. He has no idea what his senpai are talking about, Aoi next to him sharing his look.

No one actually wants to say it, but they know they have to.

Kurama is the one who actually manages to tear it from his lips. ''Abuse.''

Shinsuke's eyes widen and he goes very still and for a moment, it looks like he's going to pass out. He gets himself together, though, and he opens his mouth to say something, but someone else is quicker.

''Y-you think he's being abused?'' asks Aoi and Midori tightens her grip on the younger girl's shoulder when it becomes clear how distressed she is. No one actually says anything, but the dark and pained looks are enough of an answer. ''No!'' protests the youngest manager desperately. ''No, that's- that's not it! Aki-san would never-!''

Shinsuke suddenly seems to be shaken away. ''She's right!'' he adds his own agreement. ''Aki-san's really nice and she would _never_ hurt Tenma…!''

That's a name the rest of the soccer club hasn't heard before, and they share a few vague looks. ''Aki-san?'' repeats Kirino carefully. ''Do you mean Kino Aki? Otonashi-san's friend from her school days?''

''You know her?'' asks Aoi, her voice wavering now that she's not speaking in anger anymore.

''Not personally,'' answers Sangoku slowly, ''but Otonashi-san told us about her. Apparently she's a very good friend of hers and coach Endou's.''

Shindou furrows his eyebrows in confusion. ''Wait… what does Kino-san have anything to do with this?''

''She acts as Tenma's guardian as long as he lives in Inazuma Town.'' Aoi takes one look at the confused expressions and launches into an explanation. ''Tenma's actually from Okinawa, as you might know. He moved here when he was nine, on his own. Apparently, his parents really didn't want to let him go, but he convinced them and they worked something out with Aki-san. She's a distant relative of his, you see, and she rents out rooms in her manor. Tenma's parents made an agreement with her, that Tenma would live with her for a discount, since they're family, and that she'd take care of him.''

That changes things.

Shindou is well aware of Kino Aki's kindness. He might not have met the woman himself, but he's heard enough stories from Haruna, and Shinsuke and Aoi's insistence on it make it hard to believe otherwise. However… ''What about the other people who live there?'' he asks suddenly. ''You said Kino-san rents out the rooms. So that means that others live there as well.''

He doesn't need to explain for them to catch on and Aoi nods uncomfortably. ''Yes, I've met some of them. They seemed very nice…'' but now she doesn't sound so sure.

Everyone is so focused on the manager that they miss Shinsuke's sudden look of understanding. Everyone but Kirino. ''Shinsuke?'' the younger boy grimaces. ''You know something?''

And now all attention is focused on the young defender. ''Well… there are a lot of people living there, I think, and there was this man who was really grumpy all the time. Tenma said he was actually a big softie, but…'' he hesitates, ''but I don't think it's impossible for someone to live there who might… hurt Tenma.''

That doesn't do much to reassure them.

* * *

Endou Natsumi can't help but be worried.

Her husband is commenting cheerfully on the documentary they're watching, and usually she'd laugh, but right now, her mind is occupied with something else.

She clenches her skirt tightly and then abruptly grabs the TV remote and mutes the sound. ''Endou-kun,'' she starts, but no, that's wrong, ''Mamoru.''

Mamoru sits up straighter. It's very rare for her to use his first name and from her voice, he can guess that this is not something good. ''Natsumi? What's wrong?''

She swallows. ''Mamoru, when Tenma-kun was eating dinner with us… did you notice?''

Her husband frowns in confusion and that's enough answer for her. ''Notice what?''

Natsumi sighs and grabs his hand. If she's right, the young coach could certainly use her support when she finishes with what she wants to say. ''Mamoru, I… I don't know how to say this.'' He looks really worried now, holding both her hands within his own. ''During dinner today… because of his school uniform, it was hard to see and I thought it was my imagination, but… Mamoru, his arms- he was covered in bruises.''

She keeps her gaze locked onto his as she says the words.

Mamoru's eyes widen in shock and he opens and closes his mouth a few times, his lips forming the words she just spoke.

Natsumi squeezes his hand softly. ''They were very, very bad,'' she adds, her voice barely above a whisper. ''I don't know what happened, but… it can't be good.''

Her husband's voice is tight when he finally finds it again. ''What- what are you saying?''

He sounds scared.

Natsumi has to blink the tears out of her eyes. ''I'm not saying anything,'' she whispers, and his grip on her hands is almost painful but she doesn't care in the slightest when she sees the devastation in his eyes. ''I only ask you to keep an eye out. Please.''

He nods shakily and that's the last straw. Natsumi lets go of his hands and instead wraps her arms around him tightly. He returns the gesture, weaving one hand through her hair and using the other to pull her close.

They stay like that for a long while.

''Aki,'' whispers Mamoru eventually, ''he lives with Aki, she wouldn't- she'd never-''

He's desperate in a way she never heard before. ''I know,'' she breathes, holding onto him tightly as much for his comfort as her own, ''but… but she rents out rooms in her manor… maybe it's not her, maybe- maybe it's one of the others,'' she whispers.

It's a very real possibility and they both know it.

It says a lot about the trust he has in her when Mamoru nods, swallowing tightly and holding her even closer.

Natsumi really, really hopes she's wrong about this.

* * *

It's two weeks after that Raimon finally has the chance to find out more about Tenma's home life, when they play against the Akizora Challengers – the team made up out of all the Kogarashi Manor residents minus Tenma.

They're all sharply aware of the importance of the match, with the exception of Tenma, Kariya, Aoyama and Ichino.

Sangoku, being keeper, can afford to keep a close eye on the brunet during most of the match. He knows Shindou is focusing on the actual players, if the look they shared before the start of the match was any indication, and so the keeper allows his eyes to focus on the form of their youngest midfielder.

He seems genuinely happy.

Sangoku isn't sure if it's because he can play actual, real soccer, and he thinks that's at least part of it, but the smiles and winks the Akizora Challengers give him cause him to beam and grin cheerfully.

After the match is done, the keeper and the captain share one single look.

They meet up at the riverbank field twenty minutes later. Silently Kirino, Kurama, Kurumada, Hamano, Hayami and Amagi join them.

''They like him,'' is the first thing Sangoku says. ''I've seen some of them interact with him, and they practically dote on him. I don't think they would ever hurt him or allow anyone to.''

''If they were aware of it,'' adds Kurama lowly.

No one comments on that.

* * *

Tenma, despite what his team might think, is aware of their watchful eyes on him.

Honestly, it's hard to miss it.

He appreciates it, really, but…

Well, it becomes a little overwhelming at times.

And when he finds out he's out of concealer, a few days after the match against Kidokawa Seishuu… well, who can really blame him when he tags along on one of Tsurugi's visits to his brother after the tense practice where even _coach Endou_ kept looking at him? At least the forward doesn't do more than give him a few harsh looks. And allows him to come along when he visits Yuuichi, which is… a very rare act of kindness, actually.

They don't say much as they make their way through the corridors towards Yuuichi's room. Tsurugi pushes the door open and his brother smiles when he sees them. ''Kyousuke, Tenma-kun! It's nice to see you!''

Tsurugi softens in a way the brunet has only seen a handful of times before. They both sit down in the chairs next to the bed and soon enough, Yuuichi and Tenma are talking cheerfully, the youngest Tsurugi brother offering his opinion on something once in a while but mostly just relaxing.

It's when the brunet raises his hand to swipe at the hair that keeps getting in his eyes that Yuuichi suddenly stills.

Tenma pauses, halfway through raising his arm, and Tsurugi next to him is pulled from his relaxed daze. ''Nii-san?'' he asks, a hint of alarm in his voice. ''What's wrong?''

But Yuuichi doesn't pay him any attention and instead keeps his suddenly very concerned eyes on the brunet. ''Tenma-kun, your arm,'' he says and reaches out to grab the boy's wrist.

The midfielder is about to pull it back but the soft and gentle touch and the worried gaze freeze him. He allows Yuuichi to roll up his sleeve.

The young man gasps at the canvas of purple and red and yellow.

They aren't as bad as after the matches against Mannouzaka and Tengawara, but, well, soccer isn't a harmless sport and the excessive trainings _plus_ the regular matches aren't helping much with getting rid of the ever-present discoloring on Tenma's skin.

''Tenma-kun,'' Yuuichi's voice is thich with worry, ''what's this?''

''It's nothing.''

Yuuichi looks like he doesn't believe that in the slightest.

Tenma pulls his arm back and stands up, rolling his sleeve down. ''I- I should go,'' he mutters and with a barely audible ''goodbye'' he stumbles to the door.

''Tenma-kun!'' protests Yuuichi, but the brunet has already left the hospital room.

* * *

Shindou is in the hospital.

Shindou is in the hospital and coach Endou is back and they want him to be _captain._

He agreed, because what else could he do?

Tenma sighs as he walks through the corridors of the hospital – he has just visited his older friend – and without making a conscious decision, his feet carry him to Taiyou's room. It was reassuring to talk with Shindou, yes, but it also serves to remind him of… well, everything going on with the team right now.

He reaches the door with the nametag _Amemiya Taiyou_ and knocks. ''Come in!'' calls his friend and Tenma can't help but smile at the familiar voice as he pulls the door open.

''Tenma!'' Taiyou immediately cheers up at the sight of the brunet. He's been in the hospital since he collapsed after the Arakumo-Raimon match three days ago, so a visit from his friend is very welcome. ''Come in, come in, here, I wanted to show you this video I found-''

The brunet allows himself to relax in the presence of the other captain – _and god isn't it weird to think that_ – and soon enough, they're both forgetting about the current situation for a while as they talk animatedly.

That is, until Tenma feels something warm on his face. He reaches up and touches the skin above his lip carefully. His fingers come back covered in blood and he sighs.

Not again.

''Are you okay?'' Taiyou's cheerful demeanor is immediately replaced by a worried one. ''Here, I have a tissue-''

He hands said tissue to the brunet, who presses it against his nose. Arakumo's captain is still looking at him worriedly so he smiles and tries to reassure him. ''Don't worry, I get a lot of nosebleeds,'' he tells his friend. ''And I mean _a lot._ Did you see our match against Gassan Kunimitsu?''

Taiyou nods, still worried but at least a little calmed now. ''Yeah, you got a nosebleed somewhere in the middle of the second half, right?''

Tenma laughs sheepishly. ''Coach Endou had to switch me out for a few minutes until it stopped… that was pretty embarrassing.''

It really was.

But at least Taiyou isn't so worried anymore.

* * *

''I stand by what I said, Matsukaze-kun,'' says doctor Takahashi evenly. ''Soccer is not a very safe sport for you.''

Tenma nods and swallows, clenching the fabric of his pants as he looks down. He knows this. He knew about this for years, but still…

''And as you grow older, the risk increases,'' continues the doctor. ''Soccer becomes more rough and the danger grows. You have seen it yourself, I'm sure.''

Tenma is painfully aware of the dark bruises on his arms, uncovered by his short-sleeved shirt. He nods again.

''But,'' says Takahashi and the brunet's head whips up, catching sight of the doctor's smile, ''I suppose I'm being a bit harsh here. Yes, I would prefer if you quit, but you have been playing on an official team for months now. Besides the bruises, have you had any other symptoms?''

The brunet thinks about the last few months, starting from when he joined Raimon. ''No, sir,'' he says with surety, ''besides the bruising and the occasional nosebleeds, which I've always had, nothing else happened. I…'' he trails off but one look from the man and he finishes what he wanted to say, ''you're right, about soccer being a rough sport, but… the worst that has happened is severe bruising and a few scrapes. Nothing deep or really harming.''

''That's good,'' says Takahashi, looking at something on his laptop, his eyes scanning the text. ''You're lucky, Matsukaze-kun,'' he adds absentmindedly. ''While your case isn't the best, your situation is not a severe one either. Normally we wouldn't allow the level soccer you play, but the lack of joint bleedings over the years, even after months of playing, is very reassuring.''

Tenma can't stop his hopeful smile from growing and when Takahashi notices it, he sighs. ''Listen closely, Matsukaze-kun,'' he says and the brunet forces himself to focus. ''You can continue playing soccer, but be aware of the risk. Internal and joint bleedings will always be a possibility and if you think you're putting too much stress on your body, you're the one who is responsible for taking care of yourself. Do you understand?''

The brunet nods. ''Yes, sir.''

* * *

Tenma grimaces as both he and Tsurugi fall once again after a failed attempt at Fire Tornado Double Drive. They're both gasping for air, sweat dripping from their faces.

''It's so hard,'' the brunet manages to gasp out. ''Do you- do you think we can finish it in time?''

''Yeah, I'm sure we-'' Tsurugi pauses as he glances at the brunet. ''Your nose is bleeding.''

Tenma pauses. ''Again?'' he asks, already touching the skin above his lips, grimacing when his fingers come back covered in blood. With a sigh he straightens and walks towards the stone bench he placed his bag on, grabbing one of the tissues he brings everywhere. He presses it again his nose, aware of Tsurugi joining him. ''Sorry about this,'' he tells his friend.

The forward doesn't answer that and instead frowns. ''You get a lot of nosebleeds,'' he states.

It's true, Tenma reflects as he thinks back to the times he had to take a break from training because he had another nosebleed. ''I'm used to it. Used to worry my parents a lot when I was a kid.'' He quirks a smile and shrugs.

Tsurugi doesn't seem satisfied with that answer and his frown deepens. ''Why?''

The midfielder shrugs again. ''It's not harmful,'' he says, avoiding the question. ''Don't worry about it.'' His nose has stopped bleeding by now. ''Come on, let's try it again. I'm sure we can do it!''

* * *

When Tenma wakes up the day after their match against Dragon Link ( _they won, they actually_ won!) the soreness in his limbs is even worse than the time Tsurugi beat him up with Lancelot.

Oh boy.

He remembers very, very well how horrible and obvious the bruises were all those months ago, and now it's even worse. And if that's not enough, Tenma is pretty sure he's out of concealer.

With a groan, the brunet forces himself into a sitting position and rolls up and glances at his uncovered arm.

Okay, that's bad. That's really, really bad.

He traces one of the purplish black blotches on his arm and _okay it hurts too._ He can barely see his actual skin color underneath the mess of black, blue, purple and red and he grimaces at the thought of the reactions from… well, everyone.

Tenma sighs and forces himself out of bed, wincing at the pain shooting through his body, and risks a glance in the mirror.

He has already seen his arms and, as expected, his legs are also covered in bruises. What does come as a surprise, however, is the lighter purple coloring on the right side of his jaw – not even close to being as bad as his arms – and probably his back and shoulders too – but still very obvious.

Today is not going to be fun.

* * *

'' _Tenma,''_ gasps Aki the moment he comes down for breakfast, a hand going to her mouth and her eyes wide with shock and overwhelming concern.

Concern that is quickly mirrored by the other Kogarashi Manor residents.

He waves them off with a bright grin. ''I'm fine, really! Just decided a more colorful look would suit me today!'' he spins a circle as if to show off the bruises.

Aki cracks a smile at that but the worry hasn't left her gaze. She moves over to him and gently brushes the bruise on his jaw. ''Are you sure you're okay?''

The brunet lets his bright grin shrink to a smile. ''It hurts a little, but mostly I'm just a bit sore from the match,'' he tells her truthfully. ''And I'll be as good as new in a few weeks, so don't worry!''

She sighs but gives in and nods. ''Alright then, but if it hurts too much, let me know,'' she says and the least he can do is agree to that. ''Now, come on, it's time for breakfast! I'm sure you're hungry after yesterday.''

''Hai!''

* * *

Tenma does not like the concerned and curious looks he gets throughout the whole school day. Usually he doesn't have to deal with it, since his uniform covers his arms, but the bruise on his jaw is hard to miss.

The looks Kariya, Hikaru, Aoi, Shinsuke and Tsurugi give him are hard to miss too. Tenma hides a wince – if their reactions now are any indication, he really doesn't want to know what they'll do when they see the bruises on his arms…

The day passes by without much of a fuss, except for the unwelcome attention, and the only really interesting thing that happens is that the brunet has to leave in the middle of class because he has another nosebleed.

Once practice rolls around, Tenma is tired, irritated and at the end of his patience. It almost seems like his teammates have some kind of Tenma-bruise alarm, because while no one says anything, they are _definitely_ looking at his bruised face.

Too done with the day to do more than mumble a greeting, the brunet walks towards the changing room, joined by his fellow first-years. Tenma glances at the lockers he usually changes behind, then decides he doesn't care, and drops his bag on one of the benches.

He's aware of the surprise on his friends' faces but he. doesn't. care.

Instead he unbuttons his school jacket and throws it on the bench and, before anyone can even do so much as gasp at the bruises on his arms, he pulls off his shirt.

For the record? His back and shoulders are about as bad as his arms.

He's not surprised by the shocked exclamations from his friends. He also doesn't pay them any attention and instead grabs his soccer shirt, pulling it on and hissing at the burning in his muscles.

A hand is placed on his shoulder, barely touching, as if afraid to hurt him which… is probably a good idea. The brunet turns around, coming face to face with Tsurugi, and for a moment he's taken aback by how incredibly _worried_ his friend looks.

''Tenma, are you _okay?''_ asks the striker.

The midfielder can see the other first-years and some of the older players who were still changing – Kirino, Hamano, Nishiki and Hayami – all looking at him. The brunet quirks his lip into a reassuring smile. ''I'm fine, don't worry about me,'' and he goes right back to changing.

His friends, after a few moments of hesitation, follow his example. Soon enough the brunet is walking through the door and entering the clubroom. He's painfully aware of all the stares on him, but instead pretends not to notice and leans against one of the walls, not looking at anyone.

Soon enough, the whole team is gathered in the clubroom and Endou and Haruna join them. The coach grins warmly at all of them, but when his eyes land on Tenma it fades away. ''Tenma,'' he gasps out and the brunet swallows. Haruna, having turned to the youngest midfielder at Endou's exclamation, covers her gaping mouth with her hand. The coach seems to search for words and eventually settles on a careful, ''are you alright?''

Tenma nods and shows them a bright smile. ''I am,'' he tells them, pushing his irritation away to let his natural cheerfulness shine through.

Endou doesn't look convinced but lets it go and within ten minutes, they're on the outside field and starting a practice match.

Halfway through, just after Sangoku has stopped one of Tsurugi's shot, he suddenly pauses and stares at something. The rest of the team follows his gaze and Shindou grins at them. ''Looks like you're all at it!'' he calls to them.

Calls of ''Shindou!'' and ''captain!'' come from the team as he walks down the stairs and his friends run up to him. Tenma stays in the background, hoping against hope that he can stay undetected between the others asking questions and talking.

Unfortunately, it's not to be. Shindou is saying something as he looks at every player on the team and cuts himself off in the middle of his sentence when his gaze lands on Tenma. His eyes widen, mouth agape with shock, and the brunet fidgets uncomfortably.

Shindou pulls himself out of his daze within seconds and his lips press tightly together as he moves to the younger midfielder, the rest of the team moving out of the way, and very carefully raises a hand to brush the side of Tenma's jaw, barely touching. ''What happened?'' he asks and his voice is tight with concern and barely held-back anger. The stormy look in his eyes only intensifies as he inspects his friend's arms and the bruises peeking out from underneath his collar. ''Where did you get these bruises?''

Tenma averts his gaze. ''The match yesterday,'' he mutters, giving in to the urge to cross his arms defensively, shying away from his captain.

Shindou narrows his eyes and when he speaks, his voice is tight. ''You all played yesterday and you all got hurt, yet you're the only one with bruises like this. There's not been a day since I met you where you weren't covered in them. And you're telling me these come from our matches?''

The brunet shrugs. ''Mostly,'' he mumbles and then smiles weakly, ''though sometimes it's just because I'm clumsy.''

No one looks amused by his joke and Tenma winces at the concerned and sharp looks his friends give him. Even Endou's expression is tense.

''Shindou's right,'' says a voice suddenly and the brunet glances at Kirino. The defender has crossed his arms and while he definitely looks very worried, it's also very clear that he's not about to back down. ''Tenma,'' he says evenly, ''I'm well aware that you don't want to talk about this, but do you realize that you're practically giving the idea you're being abused?''

Grey eyes widen.

'' _What?''_ he can't stop the word from breaking past his lips. He's waiting for someone to laugh and say that it's just a joke, but that doesn't happen. Instead the tension increases and Tenma opens his mouth to say something, but can't find his voice for a few moments. ''You- I- you think I'm being abused?'' he asks incredulously.

''After seeing your reaction, not really,'' answers Kirino, his gaze softening at the utter shock and disbelief on the younger boy's face, ''but you're definitely giving that impression by the way you keep hiding.''

Tenma breathes in deeply, trying to get his composure back. He knew his team was worried, but _this?_ Abuse? No way could he ever have imagined that.

But… looking at his friends now, their worried expressions and the tension between them…

''Alright,'' says the brunet finally, his shoulders lowering slightly, ''I… I should've told you earlier, so I might as well tell you now…'' he shrugs, not really knowing what to say.

Endou comes to his rescue. ''If you really want to tell us,'' he offers, smiling a little, ''maybe it'd be a good idea to sit down?''

They all agree to that and move to the bench. Tenma sits down on the grass next to Tsurugi, feeling uncomfortable under all the stares, and picks at the grass. Once everyone is seated, he sighs, hesitantly glancing up at his team. ''I… I'm sorry,'' he mutters, ''I know I should've done this a lot sooner, but I just…''

He swallows and suddenly Tsurugi gently squeezes his shoulder. Shindou moves to the brunet's other side and gives him a comforting smile. ''It's alright,'' he tells the younger boy, ''I suppose we didn't exactly make you feel welcome.''

Tenma cracks a smile at that, but it quickly disappears. ''It's just,'' he starts again, not even thinking about what he's saying anymore, ''my whole life, once people found out about… everyone just started treating me differently. As if I'm made of glass or could drop dead in front of them at any given time.''

Well, that's not really reassuring.

''I just… didn't want you to act the same way around me,'' mutters Tenma, continuing to pick at the grass. ''I'm sick of all the pity.'' He sighs – best to just get it over with – and pulls his legs to his chest, leaning his chin on them.

He stays silent for a few moments and then says, softly, ''I have hemophilia.'' The young brunet smiles weakly at the surprised looks from his friends. ''It's… well, to put it simply, it's a blood disorder.''

He waits for the reactions and the pity, but it doesn't come.

Instead Kirino mutters a soft ''well, at least it's not abuse'' that's heard clearly in the silence, and while there's definitely concern, that's all it is – no scowls or pity or anything he's used to.

''What's a blood disorder?'' whispers Shinsuke to Kariya, confusion clear in his expression, and the tealhead shrugs. The two of them blush when all eyes move to them, and the keeper smiles sheepishly. ''I mean- the name's pretty obvious, but what does it mean to have this… hemothing?''

Tenma can't help but laugh softly. ''It's hemophilia,'' he corrects, indescribably relieved at the easy acceptance that seems to come from his team. ''Basically, I miss a certain protein and because of that, my blood doesn't clot,'' he explains. ''So when I get a cut, it will keep bleeding much longer than it would for any of you. I bruise really, really easily, as you've already noticed, and I get lots of random nosebleeds.''

Shinsuke seems satisfied with that answer, and so is mostly everyone else, but Hayami is frowning. ''I've read something about that,'' he says. ''Can't people with hemophilia bleed out from just a cut or something?''

And there's the concern again.

Tenma shrugs and then smiles reassuringly. ''Technically, yes,'' he says and quickly continues when he sees the very worried looks his friend shoot him, ''but that's a bit exaggerated. It's not as if I'm in danger of bleeding out whenever I get a paper cut. Since my blood doesn't clot, there's always a danger if I get a real serious cut, but it's not as if I get hurt like that on a daily basis.''

''So it's not… dangerous?'' asks Aoi carefully and the brunet feels his guilt rise again at that – she's been supportive so long without even knowing the full truth.

Tenma pushes it away for now – he'll have to talk to her later – and shakes his head. ''No, it definitely is,'' he answers truthfully, encouraged by the lack of negativity. ''People with hemophilia are prone to joint and internal bleedings, which could lead to lifelong disabilities or death. But with modern medical advancements, the risks are reduced greatly,'' he explains, and then adds as an afterthought, ''Besides, I don't have severe hemophilia.''

''Severe?'' repeats Hikaru curiously and it seems like the first-years especially are willing to learn more about his condition.

The brunet nods and explains. ''Severe hemophilia, which is really bad, mild hemophilia, which isn't so bad, and moderate, that's kind of the middle ground. I have moderate hemophilia so it's still risky, but, well, it could be worse.''

Hikaru, Kariya and Shinsuke seem to take his easy answering as an invite to overwhelm him with questions and before he knows it, he's trying to keep up with them and answer to the best of his ability, the rest of the team watching them fondly.

* * *

Things change after that, yet at the same time… not really. His team is more protective, as proven when Kurama asked if he should even be playing soccer – Tenma had paused for a second too long and then had to hurry to explain that the doctor would rather he doesn't but that, technically, he's allowed to – and the reactions that followed, but it's not the cuddling he's used to from others.

Endou makes sure everyone is aware of where the first aid kit is in need of emergencies, and they have a few sessions in which they get an official course about hemophilia – not really needed, since Tenma explained most of it already, but appreciated nonetheless – and what to do if something _were_ to happen.

The team still dislikes it when he pushes himself too hard, but they don't force him to stop and in return, the brunet allows them to fuss about him a little more than he usually would when he appears with _another_ bruise.

Tsurugi drags him along to the hospital and Tenma gives in and tells Yuuichi the truth who is, while worried, also grateful and relieved. Tsurugi doesn't say anything about it, but during the visit he smiles at the brunet and he treats him to ice cream after they've left, and it's enough.

Tenma also makes sure to have a long conversation with Aoi, where he profusely apologizes for hiding so much from her for almost four years. She is, understandably, mad, but more than that she's relieved to finally know the truth.

Life goes on after that. The brunet has stopped wearing concealer, at least during practice, and he doesn't hide behind the lockers anymore when he changes. It's a show of trust that no one points out but everyone is aware of.

And honestly?

Tenma's not completely sure what he ever did to deserve friends like this, but he wouldn't change them for the world.

* * *

 **This won't actually have a real plot, basically it's just the rewrite of the three series with the idea ''what if Tenma had hemophilia'' in mind. Also, please understand I don't mean to insult anyone who actually suffers from this and if I did, know that that was not my goal and that I deeply apologize.**

 **\- Yara Meijer**


	2. Chapter 2

**This was supposed to be one chapter... but it got too long, so the second part will come later. Eventually XD**

 _ **Catmeow:**_ **Thank you, I'm glad you like it!**

 _ **Sonia Kumar:**_ **Thank you for all the compliments, they mean a lot! Raimon is only going to get more protective later on, yes, but I won't spoil! You'll just have to read and find out :D Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

 _ **Dierengek01:**_ **I'm glad you like the story so far! You know me too well... of course there's going to be more than *just* bruises XD Hope you don't mind? And yes, I do happen to be Dutch! Ah, school started for you too? Hope it's going well!**

 _ **Property of KNMC:**_ **I'm glad you liked the previous chapter! This is a short story, no more than four or five chapters. The previous chapter was GO, this chapter and the next will be Chrono Stone and the chapter(s) after that are Galaxy!**

 _ **savior:**_ **I'm sorry for deleting your previous comment, I didn't mean to do it - something went wrong and I accidentally deleted it. Again, I'm very sorry and thank you for your reviews, both of them.**

 _ **Yuki Kushina:**_ **I'm glad you like it!**

 _ **pirpa98:**_ **I'm glad you like it. I'm not sure how I'll end this story, so you'll just have to wait and see!**

 **Disclaimer: don't own**

 **Now, enjoy!**

* * *

''Are you the reason why Raimon's gone all weird?''

''That's right.''

The strange boy – Alpha, he said his name was – stares at him blankly when Tenma narrows his eyes angrily. ''I'll never let you erase soccer! Turn everyone back to normal!''

He remembers their blank stares, the confusion when he spoke to them, and swallows thickly. ''Give soccer back!'' he says, instead of following that line of thinking.

''No,'' states Alpha and holds out a hand, his voice and expression as monotone as it's been the whole time. ''What we must do is the exact opposite. The total annihilation of soccer.''

He feels nauseous and the brunet swallows, trying to get rid of the feeling. ''That's…'' he clenches his fists, trying to stop their shaking. ''I won't let you!''

But then Alpha is holding something, some small, black disk with a red button, and as he throws it into the air he says, ''you cannot resist me,'' and a ball shape forms. It lands in front of the purple-haired boy and Tenma has barely a second to notice the different buttons on it, when Alpha pushes one of them and the ball starts glowing with a bright red energy. ''Time Warp Mode.''

He shoots it towards the brunet and Tenma steps backwards, but trips on the staircase. The world lurches sharply and a bright red light fills his vision, Alpha's face the last thing he sees, and for a few seconds that feel like hours, he's _gone._

When he comes back to his senses, he can feel the wind in his hair, hear the cries of the seagulls, feel the salty wind on his lips.

His eyes snap open because _he knows this._

Blue sky, as opposed to the evening's orange glow from a moment before, the bright, sparkling blue sea, lazy cotton clouds drifting through the sky.

He knows this, as well as he knows his room in Kogarashi Manor. Even if it's impossible, even if his mind tells him that he can't have traveled from Tokyo to Okinawa in barely a minute, he knows this place like the back of his hand.

 _Home._

* * *

Tenma's staring at the world of sparkling colors beyond the window of the Inazuma TM Caravan and while he's awed by its beauty, there's too much going on in his head to really notice.

'' _Don't worry. You survived.''_

That's what Alpha had said, after stopping Gouenji's attempt to save the brunet's younger self.

Despite everything that just happened, he can't help but focus on that part.

 _You survived._ Nothing about how long, or the repercussions.

It should've been reassuring, in the least, but instead, Tenma can only remember the doctor visit where he was diagnosed with hemophilia. That was when he was five.

The accident happened when he was three.

Part of him wonders how that went down, in this world. _You survived_ could've meant so many things.

It probably isn't a good sign for his mental stability if he's thinking so much about his possible death.

But the other option is remembering the _pain._

Like fire, searing hot and fast, _too fast,_ no way to stop it. Burning away his memories as something fundamentally shifted, forcefully changing.

For a moment, he hadn't known _anything._

 _I love soccer_ and _I don't care about it._

 _I love my friends_ and _I don't know them._

Things he'd known for as long as he could remember, torn away and replaced by other things, cold and unfamiliar and different and painful.

For a moment, he'd been _someone else_ and it was terrifying.

And that particular line of thought leads to Raimon. If Alpha's words – and his own experiences with them – are any indication, they really forgot everything. They went through the same process, the same pain, the same lack of identity.

That, more than the beating or the bruises that will undoubtedly cover his skin tomorrow, makes him feel like throwing up.

''Hey,'' says a soft voice and Tenma tears his eyes away from the window when Fei sits down next to him. ''How are you feeling?'' he smiles sympathetically. ''I can imagine all this is a bit… much.''

The brunet shrugs. Fei is nice, definitely, but he's still a little uncomfortable around the other boy- the time traveler. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never believe it. ''I- I guess it is,'' he mutters finally, staring at his hands. ''I'm worried about my team- oh, crap.''

Fei furrows his eyebrows. ''What's wrong?''

Tenma grimaces and holds out his hand. The other's eyes widen when he sees the blood covering it and for a minute, Fei seems speechless. ''Oh jeez,'' he says after a moment. ''I'll- I'll go grab the first aid kit.''

He quickly stands up and moves to the back of the caravan and the brunet holds his injured hand with his other, making sure not to stain his uniform. Fei returns a second later and quickly sets to cleaning the blood and bandaging the rather small cut.

Despite that, it's still large enough to bleed quite a bit and Tenma would find it strange he didn't notice it before, if his whole body wasn't still sore from Protocol Omega's attack.

''Done,'' announces the time traveler once he finishes treating the wound. ''That okay?''

Tenma stretches his fingers and turns his hand a bit, then looks up and smiles at Fei. ''Thank you.''

Fei returns his smile. ''Don't worry about it, I'm glad to be of help!''

And in that moment, the brunet is sure they will get along perfectly.

* * *

Tenma can't possibly describe how relieved he was to see his team.

They're _alright._

It's a shame he doesn't really have time to think about it, because soon enough they're off to bring Tsurugi back, and then Alpha teleports them and they're on Raimon's inside field, about to have a match.

''The place where your soccer will be buried for good,'' states Alpha, his voice as monotone as always.

Fei smiles, a fire of determination burning brightly in his eyes. ''We'll take whatever they throw at us,'' he says. ''That's why we came here.'' He snaps his fingers and suddenly the Dupli are there, dressed in Raimon's uniform.

Tenma blinks and looks down when he notices that he and his friends have changed clothes as well – that will be weird no matter how many times Fei does it – and his eyes widen when he catches sight of his arms. ''Oh my god.''

''Tenma?'' Shindou turns his head, concern in his eyes once the brunet's horrified tone registers in his mind, and his eyes widen. _''Tenma.''_

Shinsuke makes a restricted choking sound and Yuuichi pales rapidly, while both Fei and Wondeba can't do more than stare.

Not that Tenma can blame them, considering he's also still quite horrified at the sight of his own skin.

Black, black, _black._ The horrid mess of colors, if the barely distinctive shades can even be called that, are a sickening contrast to his natural tan. The last time he looked like this was after the match against Dragon Link, and even then there wasn't so much _black._

He tears his eyes away from the bruises and looks up at Shindou. He's not sure what kind of expression he has, but something in the strategist's face tightens, something unreadable yet familiar in his eyes. The older boy grits his teeth and looks away.

Only when the match has already begun does Tenma realize, with startling clarity, that it was guilt he saw in Shindou's gaze.

* * *

They're time jumping back to the present and Tenma can honestly say he can't wait to see Tsurugi again. His best friend might be an edgy emo kid, but he's _Raimon's_ edgy emo kid and the brunet has missed him.

He's pulled from his thoughts when someone sits down next to him. ''Shindou-senpai?''

The strategist smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. ''Hey. Mind if I sit here?''

''Not really…'' the brunet trails off hesitantly. There's something off about his older friend and he hesitates for a few moments. ''Are- are you okay?'' he asks when his concern wins out, and at the game maker's surprised look he looks down. ''I mean, you're acting a little… unlike yourself,'' he mutters and glances up through his bangs.

Shindou's gaze softens and he sighs. ''I'm alright,'' he says, ''but you're not.''

Tenma blinks, even more confused now. ''Senpai?''

The older boy leans his arms on his knees, keeping his gaze on the ground. ''You were hurt.'' He says it like a statement and the young captain pauses, not sure what to say. He doesn't have to say anything. ''And we weren't there.''

Oh.

That's what this is.

''It's alright,'' Tenma tries to reassure him, ''Fei helped me and it's not as bad as-''

''Don't.'' The brunet's smile melds off his face at the cold tone in Shindou's voice, and the older boy still won't look at him. ''We should've been there, Tenma, and yet we didn't even _remember_ you. You were alone and hurt. _I_ should've been there.''

Tenma swallows but he doesn't hesitate. He won't allow his friend to blame himself for this. ''It's not your fault,'' he stresses and there's a hint of steel in his voice. ''Protocol Omega attacked you out of nowhere, there's nothing you could've done. If it weren't for Fei, I don't know if I would've given in. There's only one who's to blame here and that's El Dorado, not you.''

Shindou finally, finally looks at him and the brunet swallows at the pained look in his brown eyes. ''That might be so,'' says the older midfielder softly, ''but you were still hurt, Tenma. You might be captain but you're only _thirteen.''_

''And you're fourteen,'' answers the brunet stubbornly. No way he'll concede on this. ''I don't blame you, and you'll just have to live with that.''

The game maker cracks a smile, barely noticeable but still there. ''Stubbornness issues much,'' he mutters under his breath and with that, the seriousness is gone.

''Hey!'' the brunet protests and Shindou laughs. Tenma feels fully justified to hit him.

The topic is dropped for the time being and while the younger midfielder can sigh in relief, he doesn't dare fool himself by thinking this is the end of it.

* * *

When everything is said and done, Shindou watches Tenma and Fei leave the clubroom.

He's still reeling from the new soccer ban, but more than that, there's another issue on his mind.

''Shindou,'' says Kirino softly and the strategist is pulled back to the present. Realizing he's still staring at the closed doors, he looks up and catches sight of his teammates – that is, everyone but the captain. His best friend is looking at him with worried eyes. ''What's wrong?''

The game maker would like to say he's surprised by his friends' perceptiveness, but he really isn't. Instead he slumps in his seat, eyes focused on the ground and expression tight. ''Tenma,'' he answers simply. ''It's worse than after the Dragon Link match.''

Well hello, heavy atmosphere, how are the wife and kids?

The silence is very, very painful, and it's no surprise Shinsuke feels the need to break it. ''I talked with Fei,'' mutters the keeper softly and all eyes turn to him. Everyone notices the downward tilt to his lips, but no one mentions it. ''Tenma explained Protocol Omega's ball, right? How it can teleport and stuff. Apparently there's also something called 'Strike Mode', which is- it's used to… to hurt. A lot.'' The small boy winces, but forces himself to go on. ''Fei- Fei said, when they tried to erase Tenma's memories, he kept fighting and- and Alpha, he used Strike Mode on Tenma so he'd give up.''

Knowing their captain, that can't be anything good.

Still, they have to ask.

''How long?'' Shindou pretends his voice doesn't crack.

Shinsuke clenches the fabric of his uniform pants and shakes his head. ''I- I don't know,'' he says softly. ''Fei said it was already going on a while when he got there, so…'' he shrugs helplessly.

Shindou closes his eyes and tries to ignore the heavy feeling in his stomach.

That's… bad.

He's not the only one who seems to think so. ''That _idiot,''_ hisses Tsurugi, but beneath the venom in his voice, there's the same deep-rooted concern they've all grown familiar with when it concerns their wayward captain.

''This is dangerous,'' says Kurama eventually and it's surprising that he's the one who's the calmest. Or, well, seems to be the calmest, if the dark look in his eyes and clenched fists are any indication. ''Fifth Sector had limits. El Dorado doesn't seem to be of the same mindset.''

It's with a sickening dread that everyone realizes he's right.

So far, El Dorado doesn't seem to have any trouble with hurting them and hurting them _badly._

''And knowing that idiot,'' adds Tsurugi, the venom having left his voice, ''he'll dive head-first into reckless situations. Like he always does.''

''Is that concern I see?'' asks Shindou, voice joking but also weary, and he must look as bad as he feels because the striker doesn't give a snappy retort. The former captain sighs and runs a hand down his face. ''I don't think there's anything we can do now,'' he says finally. ''We'll just… have to be careful. And make sure he's careful.''

Tsurugi snorts without humor. ''You do know this is Tenma we're talking about, right? The guy who allowed himself to be beaten up by Keshin users, challenged Fifth Sector head on, started a revolution in the process and managed to win?''

Right.

This just moved from 'hard' to 'nearly impossible'.

* * *

It's been two hours since Tsurugi woke up as a Knight of the Round and they're just finishing their meeting.

''Alright, so everyone's in agreement?'' Shindou asks. ''We'll wait for the others to show up and follow the story line? So it doesn't matter who the main character and his friend are, we have to pretend to be the Knight of the Round?'' there are nods all around.

''I have to go now,'' says Aoi, standing up and dusting of her dress. ''My 'father' will be looking for Princess Merola if I stay away much longer.'' She excuses herself and disappears through the double doors.

''Alright, stay close, everyone,'' orders Shindou and Tsurugi can't help but feel nostalgic when the midfielder easily falls back into his role of captain. ''We can't know for sure when the others will arrive, but I doubt it'll be long.''

Everyone goes off to do their own thing after that and Tsurugi makes his way to one of the balconies, looking out over the garden. He sighs and leans on the barricade, staring at the land beyond the city.

They're stuck in a fairy tale, separated and forced to play out the story.

Tenma is not with the Knights of the Round.

The striker ignores the twinge of worry and instead huffs. ''Knowing that idiot, he's probably managed to become the main character or something, with all the trouble he attracts.''

Great. Now he's talking to himself.

He glares at nothing, annoyed with himself. Three months ago, he was a ruthless Seed, and now he keeps thinking about the soccer freak who's somehow managed to become his best friend.

Stupid Tenma, for making him worry like this.

But even as he thinks it, he grimaces as he remembers the sight of the bruises on the brunet's skin, _black,_ contrasting sharply with his always-cheerful smile. The resigned look on the captain's face when he finally told them the truth, the way he casually deals with the nosebleeds and ignores the bruises that would've send anyone else to a doctor.

Tenma might pretend it doesn't bother him, but Tsurugi knows him better than that.

And the brunet's tendency to act first, think later is not very reassuring, especially when said brunet _isn't here._ He's somewhere in this strange land, probably alone and who knows what El Dorado will do next.

He's torn from his thoughts when someone joins him on the balcony. ''You're worried about him,'' says Taiyou softly.

For a second, Tsurugi thinks of playing dumb, but then decides not to. ''Like you're not,'' he mutters in response.

Taiyou leans on the barricade as well, his eyes sharpening. ''Of course I am,'' he says and there's something in his voice that causes Raimon's striker to look at him. ''Not sure if you noticed this, but I don't know what's going on with him.''

The striker's eyes widen.

''He hasn't told you?'' he inadvertently asks.

Arakumo's captain shakes his head and sighs. ''No,'' he says softly. ''I mean, I know there's something. I wasn't sure before, but after I joined you guys, and the bruises… it wasn't hard to figure out, especially since you all seemed to know something. I meant to ask him, but, well, there was never a right moment for it.'' He shrugs nonchalantly, but the hard edge to his lips gives him away.

Tsurugi stares at him and easily remembers his own frustration from only a few weeks ago.

He makes a decision and hopes Tenma won't be angry. ''It's hemophilia,'' he says and Taiyou blinks in surprise. ''A blood disorder.''

''You-'' the other teen pauses. ''You're telling me?''

The striker shrugs. ''You deserve to know, besides, if Tenma knew how worried you were, I doubt he'd mind if I told you.''

Taiyou seems stuck between eagerly listening and betraying his friend's trust. Tsurugi waits patiently, letting him make his own decision.

The bright-haired boy looks out over the fairy tale city and breathes in slowly. The silence between them isn't uncomfortable, but it's a little on the heavy sid.

''So,'' says Taiyou eventually, finally meeting Tsurugi's gaze again. ''Hemophilia, you said?''

The forward smiles just a little bit.

* * *

Fei has stopped moving.

His teammates are shouting at him, taunting him, but he doesn't move. Tenma keeps an eye on him but he's also focused on the match, because they have to win. They have to.

Out of the corner of his eye, the brunet suddenly sees Fei move and there's a flash of blue and-

 _Pain._

A scream tears itself from his throat and through the agony in his head, he can hear his friends screaming as well. He drops to his knees, clutching his head, and he manages to gasp out, ''what is this?'' before another wave of agony crashes over him.

It's as if his mind is tearing itself in pieces and he falls forward, leaning on his knees and elbows, still clutching his head. He hears the commentator shouting and his teammates screaming but he can't focus _because it hurts, it's still hurting and it only gets worse._

 **Pain.**

 **PAIN.**

He tries to gasp for breath, but he can't get the oxygen in his lungs and it _hurts-_

Through the pain he manages to push himself up, somewhat, and he can see someone walking towards him, even through his blurry vision. The bright orange vest gives his identity away.

''Is it you, Fei?'' he gasps out and part of him screams that _no, it can't be, Fei would never do something like this, he wouldn't_ hurt _us like this,_ but there's no denying it. ''Is it you doing this?''

His only answer is a flare of purplish blue lighting up around Fei and the pain in his head increases tenfold, a scream tearing itself from his throat. Agony courses through his veins like acid, and _he can't_ _ **breathe-**_

 _ **He can't**_ **breathe.**

Then it dies down a bit and he wretches his eyes open, even though he wants to give in and curl up into a little ball and _hide,_ but he can't.

He can't because _his friend needs him._

''Please,'' he gasps out instead, forcing himself to ignore his trembling body, and tries to convey his pleas through his eyes, ''stop, F-Fei. You can't…''

Another wave of light and _**agony-**_

He chokes on his scream and he can taste blood in his mouth when he bites on his tongue and it _hurts_ and it won't _stop, please make it stop, no more! Please!_

Tenma forces himself upright again, forces himself to look at his _friend._ ''T-This isn't the soccer you wanted to play, Fei!'' something shocked, vulnerable, flashes through the other boy's expression and the brunet pushes on. He _has_ to. ''Am I right?!''

He's running out of breath and he chokes, tasting iron on his tongue as he crumbles to the floor, barely catching himself halfway. If Fei attacks him more viciously again, there's no way he'll be able to hold onto consciousness.

But then he hears Fei's voice. ''Tenma…'' there's something pained in it and more than the mental agony, that hurts, because his friend is in pain and he's not sure if he can do anything to help.

He forces himself to keep looking, to hold on for just a little while longer, because _Fei needs him._

Another wave of agony and Tenma crumbles to the ground, his strangled scream cutting itself off. He clutches his head through the burning, searing, _tearing_ _ **agony**_ but even then he can still hear Fei's voice. ''I'm your enemy!'' there's a note of desperation in it, as if the other boy is trying to convince himself as much as Tenma.

A flash of light – _how many has it been now?_ – and the brunet curls in on him, gasping through the taste of blood and the feeling of acid in his veins. _Please…_

''I'm the enemy! I'm Tenma's enemy!'' and he runs forward, taking the forgotten ball and moving to El Dorado's half. No one can do anything to defend, except-

Except robot Ray Rukh.

He tries, but it's not to be. One android can't fight an entire team of Second Stage Children.

Tenma doesn't know what Saru is telling Fei, but he can see the hesitation, the _pain_ on his friend's face. Before he can think on it, however, there's another wave of energy, the worst one yet and the stadium is filled with _screams._

Distinctly, he can recognize his own voice.

 _Agony, agony, agony, ago_ _ **ny, agony, agony agony agonyagonyagonyagony-**_

And then it's gone.

Fei's confused, and pained, and scared, all at once. Tenma forces himself to his feet, listening to Supporter X, telling Fei to stop, and he's sure Saru is also mentally talking to his friend.

''Fei!'' he calls, because if there's anything he can do to help, _he will._

The boy looks at him and the look in his eyes is so full of desperation that Tenma has to fight of the nausea. ''Ten-''

''Fei!'' he calls again, because he can't let Saru win. Not with this.

The boy is looking at the balcony where Feida's emperor is sitting. ''I… I…'' and then Tobe is suddenly there, stealing the ball, and the match continues.

Tenma gives Fei one last look and then joins his teammates.

 _I promise you, Fei, I_ will _save you. I will, no matter what._

* * *

He lies on the blue field, gasping for air. He's hot, and sticky, and beyond exhausted, but there's a surge of happiness that makes it all worth it when the whistle echoes over the field.

'' _The match is over! Chrono Storm wins the final round!''_

The audience explodes into cheers, and Tenma pushes himself to his knees. ''We won!'' Shinsuke's shout is echoed by their teammates and the keeper flings himself at the brunet, catching him in a hug. ''Tenma!''

The captain yelps but can't help the smile spreading over his face. ''We did it, Tenma!'' Nishiki grins.

The brunet laughs cheerfully. ''Yes!'' Fei offers a hand and he grabs it, letting his friend pull him to his feet. Around them, the stadium floats down, out of the pocket dimension the Second Stage Children had created.

He looks over at the other team, smiling a little when he sees them all standing together, and excuses himself. ''Saru!'' he calls when he's in hearing distance, and the other boy looks up. Tenma holds out a hand and the other captain stares at it for a second.

Then his face softens into a smile and he reaches out to shake it. ''Thank you.'' His grip is strong, no sign of hesitation, and the look in his eyes is genuine.

They talk for a while as people start leaving the stadium. It's a relief to hear Saru say they'll give up their powers and continue to play soccer and soon both teams are moving to the benches.

As he watches the players interact, Tenma can't help but smile. He couldn't possibly describe how amazing it is to see all of them get along like this.

Fei's standing next to him, smiling as well. ''It's amazing, isn't it?'' he asks and the brunet nods.

Tenma closes his eyes for a moment and grimaces at a sharp flare of pain in his head. He's been feeling it since the match, after he took a particular bad fall – he's pretty sure he banged his head on the ground or something – but the adrenaline kept the pain at bay for a while.

Now, however, it comes back full force and he raises a hand to his temple, lightly massaging it. _Ouch._ He's aware of Fei next to him, still talking, but the pain makes it hard to focus on his voice.

His eyes open and his brow furrows in confusion when he feels something hot and wet on the side of his face, hidden by his hair. He touches his ear lightly and when he retracts his hand and looks at his fingers, they're covered in blood.

He stares at it, uncomprehending, for a few seconds.

''-Tenma?''

The brunet looks up at the sound of his name, eyes meeting Fei's worried, minty green ones. He opens his mouth to reassure him, but there's a lurch in his stomach and his vision seems to twist, colors and figures mixing until nothing makes sense anymore. His blood rushes through his ears and for a moment he feels like he's floating, but then he's falling, falling, _falling-_

''Tenma!''

Everything goes black.

* * *

Fei pauses with what he's saying when he notices the way Tenma is holding his head. He frowns in concern and almost reaches out for the brunet, but then hesitates. ''Hey, are you alright?''

His captain doesn't seem to hear him and is instead massaging his temple. Then he suddenly pauses, pulling his hand back.

Fei's eyes widen when he notices the red coating them.

''What's wrong? Can you hear me, Tenma?'' finally, _finally_ does the brunet look up at him, his eyes glazed over, dazed, and without having to ask, Fei knows his friend isn't entirely with him.

The brunet opens his mouth to say something, but the only sound that comes out is a strangled gasp and then suddenly his legs give out and he's falling.

Fei shoots forward to catch him. ''Tenma!'' he drops to his knees, arms around the brunet's shoulders, and he would be relieved at having caught him before he hit the ground if his friend's head wasn't hanging limply against his chest. ''Tenma!''

He's vaguely aware of his friends moving towards them, but he can't really focus on them.

Instead he stares at the blood coating Tenma's uncovered ear.

 _This is bad,_ is the only thing his mind registers. _Crap crap crap this is bad this is bad this is_ bad-

Someone kneels in front of them and Fei tears his eyes away from his friend's face, instead looking into dark, worried eyes. ''C-coach?'' he barely recognizes his own voice, so desperate and shaky that it takes him a moment to realize that yes, it's his.

The others are frantic, unable to stay still, pale with worry and fear. Fei thinks he probably looks the same way, but it's oddly detached, as if his thoughts and feeling are muted somehow.

The next who-knows-how-long passes him in a daze. He's partly aware of Endou taking charge and Tenma being taken away by people in white clothes. Raimon's coach and his friends, Kidou and Gouenji, then guide them to a waiting room and once they get there, Fei can't do more than fall down on one of the benches and stare blankly at the wall in front of him.

* * *

The second he's finished talking with the other Second Stage Children, Saru excuses himself. Meia and Gillis, both pale, stand up to follow him and no one seems to blame him for his hasty retreat.

The three of them quickly make their way through the many halls of Saint Elda and to the medical wing. They reach the waiting room in record time and quietly slip inside.

Saru pauses as he stares at the scene in front of him. Every single Raimon player and their friends from various timelines, scattered through the room. Some are whispering quietly, but mostly it's silent. Their defeated, slumping forms are lined with exhaustion and anxiety and Feida's emperor has to take a moment to calm himself.

His eyes move to the familiar figure of Fei. His friend is sitting with Raimon but not actually talking to any of them, curled up on the couch-like bench, arms hugging his knees to his chest and eyes staring blankly at the opposite wall.

Saru shares a quick look with Meia and Gillis and then the three of them move over to the mint-haired boy. ''Fei,'' says the captain softly as he sinks down on the bench next to him, Meia and Gillis both take seats as well.

''S-Saru?'' whispers his friend, finally shaking himself out of his daze. ''What… what are you doing here?''

He looks so defeated that Saru has to swallow first to make sure his voice won't crack. ''We were worried,'' he says softly. ''About you and about Tenma, so we came to make sure you're taking care of yourself. After all, that's what friends do, right?''

At least, he hopes so.

The tiny smile gracing Fei's lips tells him he guessed correctly. ''Thank you,'' whispers the mint-haired teen and Saru has to swallow again when he hears the unimaginable amount of gratefulness in his friend's voice.

Meia places a hand on Fei's shoulder and when the boy looks at her and Gillis, she smiles. ''We're here for you, Fei.''

The four of them settle down for the inevitable wait.

Eventually, a nurse enters the waiting room and looks around. ''Endou Mamoru-san?'' said man immediately moves over to him. ''Am I correct in the assumption you're responsible for Matsukaze Tenma-kun's well-being while his guardian is unavailable?''

''Yes, that's true,'' he confirms.

The nurse nods. ''Very well. I have an update on his status, would you like to hear it in private?''

Endou takes one look at the pale, terrified faces of the teenagers gathered in the room and then shakes his head. ''No, I will tell them anyway. It's easier if they all hear it now.''

The man nods again. ''Alright. Matsukaze-kun, as you might be aware, suffers from a blood disorder-''

Saru's eyes widen at this. He hadn't known that.

''-and we suspect that, during the match today, he somehow hit his head. Because of this, he has a cerebral bleed.''

Everyone freezes.

 _Cerebral bleed._ Internal bleeding in the brain.

Endou inhales sharply and for a second, he clenches his fists. Then he nods, clearly trying to stay calm. ''And now?'' his voice is tightly controlled.

The nurse smiles sympathetically, politely. ''We have scheduled him for an emergency surgery. I will not go into the details, for our future medical options differ much from the ones you're used to. If all goes well, the surgery will start in about twenty minutes. We're not certain about the time it will take, but it will most likely range between the three to nine hours.''

Raimon's coach nods a few times, biting his lower lip. Kidou, seeing his friend's distress, steps up and places a comforting on Endou's shoulder. ''And his chances?''

The other man hesitates for only a second, but everyone notices it. Saru feels like his blood has turned to ice, but he only has to take one look at Fei's distressed, grey-looking face and he puts his own discomfort to the side to wrap an arm around his friend's shoulders.

The nurse sighs. ''Less than great,'' he says finally. ''The odds are… bad. A cerebral bleed is a very serious injury, and in this case, there is a… sixty percent chance Matsukaze-kun will not survive this. We will do everything we can, but we can't say anything for now.''

* * *

''Oh my god.''

The whisper is barely audible, but Kidou hears it anyway. He tightens his grip on Endou's shoulder and shoots the nurse a polite nod. ''Thank you very much.''

The man inclines his head for a moment and then leaves. Kidou doesn't acknowledge it, instead focusing on pushing Endou back to the bench they were sitting on, next to Gouenji. The coach sits down, staring dazedly at the ground, and his two friends share worried looks.

Gouenji leans towards Endou and starts to talk to him in soft tones. Kidou sighs softly, pushing his gratefulness at the other man's insight away for now, and instead turns to the other people in the waiting room.

If the atmosphere was morose before, it's positively depressed now. The teenagers look understandably distressed, to put it mildly.

Near tears is more like it.

Kidou mentally curses his inability to deal with them. They're not like Teikoku; they need support, _comfort,_ in a way he's not used to giving. Endou is way better equipped to deal with a team like Raimon, but his friend is in no state to do so.

Teikoku's commander grimaces and forces his feet to carry him towards the teenagers. They notice him, but Sangoku is the only one who acknowledges him. ''Kidou-san,'' says the keeper softly, defeated.

Kidou mentally frowns at the lack of response from Shindou. If he knows anything about the teenager, it's that he's always ready to step up and take the lead if need be.

''Don't give up already,'' he says softly, instead of commenting on that. He's not sure if the teenagers are listening, but he doesn't know what else to do. ''Nothing is set in stone yet. Ma- Tenma needs you to be strong for him now.''

Their captain's name gets a reaction out of them.

The way they tense is impossible to miss and Kidou almost, almost grimaces, but he manages to hide it – it wouldn't do much good if he showed his own fear right now. ''He has been with you from the moment he joined Raimon. He has supported you and put aside his own discomfort for you,'' he tells them and maybe it's not what they need right now, but he wouldn't know what else to say. ''But now _he's_ the one who has been hurt and it's time for you to be there for him. Can you do that?''

They don't answer and even Sangoku looks away when Kidou tries to make eye contact. The commander sighs quietly to himself and, after a last look, moves back to Endou and Gouenji.

He sits down on Endou's other side. The young coach has buried his face in his hands and Kidou shares a look full of concern with Gouenji. The white-haired man shakes his head silently, hand on Endou's back for comfort.

''How're the kids?'' asks the striker and Raimon's coach tenses slightly.

Kidou grimaces. ''Not… not well,'' he says finally. ''I'm not… I don't know how to…''

He doesn't need to finish his sentence, for Gouenji nods in understanding. The Teikoku coach sighs and leans his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his folded hands. He eyes his two friends – Endou, still slumped forward and not looking at anyone, Gouenji sagged against the back of the bench with his eyes closed.

''You okay?'' he asks softly.

Gouenji opens one eye and, after a few seconds, shrugs. Kidou can see right through the nonchalance of the motion.

He sighs.

There's nothing they can do now but wait.

* * *

'' _We want you to fight them at Ragnarok as members of El Dorado!''_

 _Everyone gasped in disbelief and shock at the exclamation from El Dorado's leader, no one really seeming to know what to say. ''What do you think, Shindou?'' asked Kirino, turning to his best friend._

 _The game maker turned around and thought for a moment._

 _Before he could say what was on his own mind, however, another voice cut through the silence. ''Let's do it!'' everyone stared at Tenma and the young captain stared back with fierce eyes. ''Our goal is to protect soccer, right? And the Second Stage Children are born from soccer's future… if they destroy the world, we won't have protected soccer!''_

 _He balled his fists, the determination in his gaze burning brightly. ''So, we should beat the Second Stage Children and keep soccer from being used for something bad in the future! I want to protect soccer!''_

 _Shindou looked down in thought, knowing that the team would still look to him for his opinion._

 _Mentally he smiled._

 _Tenma's logic was so understandable yet simple at the same time, as genuine as it always was._

 _Whatever Shindou decided here, it wouldn't matter. The team would follow their captain even if their strategist told them not to do it._

 _And so would he._

'' _Tenma is right… everyone! We'll accept their challenge!'' he smiled._

 _The brunet's face split into a bright smile and he directed all the gratefulness he felt at the game maker._

 _Shindou's smile merely widened._

 _No matter the challenges they would have to face, Raimon would always follow their captain._

* * *

The hours passing feel like eons.

The light above the doors of the emergency room almost seems to mock them and for the first hour, no one really says anything. The silence is heavy but no one knows how to break it, and so they don't.

Shindou is resting his head on the back of the bench, watching his friends tiredly. They all seem as listless and drained as he feels and part of him wants to say something to comfort them.

But then he looks towards the double doors, still closed, and he can't bring himself to open his mouth.

 _Raimon would always follow their captain._

So where would they go if Tenma isn't there to drag them along?

He hates himself for thinking it, but at the same time he can't focus on anything else. The mere _idea_ of Tenma not being there with them is too unbelievable to even imagine fully, but the cold, heavy feeling in his stomach gives him a pretty good demonstration.

Shindou feels like throwing up as he closes his eyes and does the only thing he can do right now.

He waits.

* * *

'' _Even if I left Feida now, I have nowhere else to go!''_

 _It hurt him to admit it, but it was true. He was alone. He didn't have anyone he could go to – he_ betrayed _his friends, hurt them, and he didn't have anyone else._

 _Everyone stared at him sadly, not knowing what to say._

 _Tenma stepped forward, standing next to Kinako, and smiled._

'' _You do, Fei!''_

 _The mint-haired boy glanced up at him, scared and pained and confused._

'' _Your home is here,'' said Tenma simply._

'' _Here?'' he repeated hesitantly, not daring to hope that this was really happening._

 _The brunet nodded brightly. ''Of course!'' he said, as if he should've known it already. ''We're friends who played soccer with each other all this time! When you said you loved soccer, that definitely wasn't a lie. That's why you tried to protect soccer along with us, right?''_

 _Fei looked on, speechless, as Tenma placed a hand over his own heart. ''Your home is here. No matter what happens, this is your home!''_

 _The mint-haired boy stared at him. ''Tenma…''_

 _Everyone smiled at him and Shindou took a step closer. ''Tenma is right,'' he said, his voice encouraging. ''We know how Fei was more serious than any of us about protecting soccer.''_

'' _Come back,'' agreed Sangoku._

 _Fei stared at them, barely holding back tears. ''Guys…'' he hesitated, trying to compose himself, and then turned away, moving towards the exit._

'' _Fei!'' he halted at Tenma's voice, but didn't turn around._

Please don't stop me.

 _And he didn't._

'' _We'll be waiting for you!''_

* * *

Fei can't stand the silence anymore.

It's been three hours and the quiet is killing him. He _needs_ something to distract him from his thoughts, from this whole situation.

''What…'' his voice is hoarse and the first thing to break the silence since Kidou went back to Endou and Gouenji. It's enough to break his friends out of their trances and make them look at him. ''The nurse, he said T-Tenma has a blood disorder. What…?''

He doesn't finish his question, but he doesn't have to. They already know what he wants to ask.

''It's called hemophilia,'' says Sangoku quietly when no one else says anything. ''His blood doesn't clot. You've seen the bruises, right?''

Of course he has.

It's impossible to miss.

Fei nods, trying to fight down the nausea he feels at the reminder of the horrifying colors covering his friend's arms almost all the time. Sangoku takes a moment to compose himself. ''He bruises really easily and his blood doesn't clot, so when he gets hurt, it keeps bleeding.''

The mint-haired boy is suddenly thrown back to the time he saved Tenma from Protocol Omega. ''So that's why…'' the brunet's hand was covered in blood, but when he treated it, there was only a medium-sized cut.

Clearly he's not the only one looking for a distraction. ''What's why?'' asks Shindou softly, seemingly willing to talk about anything to get his mind off their current situation, their teammates looking just as curious.

''Ah…'' Fei pauses, wondering how to explain this. ''After Tenma was attacked by Protocol Omega and we picked him up, he was… hurt,'' he says finally. ''Scrapes, mostly, but there was one larger cut on his hand. Nothing worrisome, but I remember being surprised by how much it bled before I treated it…''

''He's too reckless,'' mutters Tsurugi, but there's a fond smile on his lips, barely visible. ''And whenever we tell him to be careful, he brushes us off.''

There are a few weak chuckles at that. ''That sounds like him,'' agrees Saru softly. ''So… has anything like this ever happened before?''

Shindou shakes his head. ''Not that we know of, no…'' he trails off and sighs. ''Other than the bruises and nosebleeds, it's usually not an issue. I guess this time he just… hit his head or something.''

Fei can't help but mentally go over their matches, trying to find the possible moment where Tenma got his injuries. He was hit by the ball a few times during their match against The Lagoon and of course he fell a few times, but it's not the first time that happened, so why would he-

Mint green eyes widen.

 _No._

No, no way, _no way._ It can't be- it _can't_ be-!

But now that the realization is there, it's impossible to ignore it, and the pieces of the puzzle fall into place no matter how much he tries to stop it.

''Oh god.''

He hears his own voice, but it sounds distant, as if he's under water.

''Oh god, oh god, _oh god-''_

No.

Please, _no._

Anything but that.

He clutches his head with trembling hands and clenches his eyes shut, trying to block everything out.

 _No._

His lips are moving, and it takes him a while to figure out the word he keeps repeating.

''No, no, no, no, no, no, no-''

He's only aware he's crying when someone grabs his wrists and his eyes flash open. The world is blurry, from tears, hot tears that spill down his cheeks, but he can recognize the long brown hair anywhere.

Kinako pulls his wrists away from his face and shifts her grip to his hands, holding them tightly. ''Fei, what's wrong?'' her worry is overwhelming, reflecting in her beautiful brown eyes, and he _doesn't deserve it._ ''Fei?''

''No,'' he gasps, trying to pull away, shaking his head, and _why doesn't she see?_ Why doesn't she realize? ''No, don't- I- no, no, no, _no, please no-''_

''Fei, please, you're scaring me!'' she tries, but he keeps struggling against her grip.

Saru joins them and grabs his shoulder, pushing him down. ''Fei, what's wrong? Fei!''

He can see Raimon, their worried faces, so, so worried, sees Wondeba looking ready to do whatever he needs him to do, and the painstaking concern is his downfall.

Fei slumps against the back of the bench, not caring about the tears rolling down his cheeks or the hands holding him, and lowers his gaze.

He can't look at them, not now.

''I-'' his voice cracks and he takes a shaky breath, because he has to tell them. He has to. ''I used… my powers, I used my powers on you- on you all, on _Tenma,_ I- I-'' he's gasping and he allows Kinako to draw him into an embrace. Only when her short yet steady arms circle him does he realize how much he's shaking. ''This is my fault, this is all _my fault-_ I never- never should've used my powers- because of me Tenma is- _Tenma is-''_

He can't say anything more than that.

Instead he glances up at his friends, not knowing what to expect but _needing_ to see it. And see it he does, the understanding, the realization, the horror-

He bows his head again and weeps.

 _It's all my fault._

* * *

'' _Put me on!''_

 _Tsurugi stared at them, out of breath, desperation in his eyes._

'' _Tsurugi!'' Tenma exclaimed what they were all thinking._

 _He stepped forward. ''Let me play in the match.'' Please. Please, please, please. They needed to let him play, he had to play._

 _But he could see the coldness in Shindou's gaze. ''You aren't running off this time?''_

'' _Not as a Seed…'' he said. ''As a soccer player, I'm asking you to let me on! Please!'' he was definitely not below begging, not about this._

 _Kurama stepped forward, glaring, blaming. ''How can we trust_ you?'' _the hard look on his face was mirrored by everyone._

'' _It's your decision, guys,'' said Endou softly._

 _Tsurugi could feel his desperation grow. After everything he did, there was no way they would let him play, no way they would trust him again. He had to play, he_ had to, _but he wasn't stupid. Not a single person would stand up for him now-_

'' _I believe in Tsurugi.''_

 _For a second, he wasn't sure if Tenma had slapped him. That would've left him less stunned than his actual words did._

 _The whole team stared at the brunet, but he didn't look away from the Seed._

'' _Tsurugi's the one who's been giving us a hard time all this time,'' said Kurama, the disdain in his voice impossible to miss. ''I thought I could trust you a bit in the previous match, but you didn't even come to practice after that. And now you're late to this match.'' He turned to Tenma. ''And you still trust him?!''_

 _Tenma didn't look away from Tsurugi, grey eyes holding orange ones captive. ''I do,'' he stated, unwavering. ''Remember Tsurugi's plays. You can't make amazing plays like that if you didn't like soccer. That's why I believe in him,'' he finished with a smile._

 _Tsurugi could only stare, disbelieving, and for a moment he felt like he could cry._

 _This boy, the one he'd been targeting all this time, the one he'd_ hurt _on more than one occasion… out of all people, it was this boy who stood up for him._

 _And Tenma smiled, small, trusting, determined, and nodded once._

'' _I believe in him too,'' said Shindou, and slowly the others started to smile._

 _One might believe it was Shindou, their captain, who convinced them, who made them believe in him, but as Tsurugi stared into warm, grey eyes, he knew that wasn't the case._

 _It was Tenma, and only Tenma, who could always change their mind._

 _He'd done it before, and he was doing it again, and the best thing? He didn't even know it._

 _Part of Tsurugi wondered if he, too, would feel obligated to follow this boy one day, to trust him as unconditionally as Raimon already seemed to do, to want to stand beside him not because Tenma told him to but because it_ was _Tenma._

 _And as the brunet grinned at him and said, ''let's do our best, Tsurugi!'' his own lips involuntarily curled up into a small smile._

 _If that would really happen, he couldn't quite say he would be opposed to it._

 _As long as it was Tenma._

* * *

After Fei's breakdown, he pretty much collapses from exhaustion.

It's been four hours since the surgery started and they're all feeling it. The exhaustion, not only from the match, but also from their deep-rooted worrying, is felt by all of them.

Tsurugi can barely keep his eyes open, but he doesn't dare fall asleep. There's a clock on the wall, and it's almost time for dinner, but no one is willing to leave. That problem is solved when Alpha, Beta and Gamma bring them a few bags filled with food, enough to last the night.

The three of them linger for a while and then excuse themselves, leaving quietly. Some of the food is handed out and Kidou and Gouenji make sure that everyone – including Endou – eats at least _something,_ but no one really has an appetite at the moment.

They talk in quiet and hushed tones, and some people sleep or rest for a bit, and the minutes slowly tick by. Tsurugi stares at the clock, sees the second pass, one by one, and he wants to look away – time only seems to go slower this way – but he can't.

There's nothing else to focus on and he won't leave, not until he knows more.

His gaze is drawn to the double doors, as tightly shut as they've been for hours now.

 _Please._

 _He might be an idiot and he might be reckless and even if he annoys me more times than I can count, please._

 _Let him be alright. He has to be alright._

Tenma is exasperating, and always talking or moving, and cheerful, and he shines so bright Tsurugi sometimes thinks he'll be blinded by it.

He's his opposite. Tsurugi is quiet, and calm, and more often than not he stays in the background, and if Tenma was the sun, he'd be the moon.

That's not a perfect comparison, though. Tenma isn't _only_ positive and bright, he's serious when he needs to be and sad and he's the most empathetic person Tsurugi's ever met.

But he's _Tenma_ and people would say he's the least likely person for Tsurugi to get along with, but they do.

They're teammates.

They're friends.

They're more than that, a lot more. Tenma might hang out with Shinsuke, have fun with him, and he might talk to Aoi and have known her for longer than anyone else on the team, but it's not the _same._

They don't share the deep-rooted understanding, the words within silence, the conversations hidden in a single look.

People might say the two of them are too different, but they balance each other out.

And the striker might call the brunet annoying and act like he doesn't care, but he does.

Because Tenma is his captain and if he ever needs help, Tsurugi will be right there at his side, where he should be.

And while he wouldn't let anyone but the brunet himself hear these words, he's not ashamed of them.

 _Please._

 _Please, be alright. Pull through. You can do this, Tenma. You've done insane stuff before, so please, please,_ please _don't give up now._

 _Don't leave._

* * *

The only reason Endou is awake is because Gouenji keeps giving him cups of cheap coffee from the coffee machine in the corner, and Kidou makes him drink it.

It's been seven hours, or, he thinks it's been seven hours. According to the clock, it's getting close to eleven and most of his team has crashed somewhere in the last two hours. They're scattered over the benches and the coach can't imagine it's very comfortable, but they all look so exhausted, he leaves them be.

He's managed to shake himself out of his daze – the fifth cup of disgusting, black coffee helped with that – and he listens to Kidou and Gouenji's quiet conversation, chewing on some sort of snack the Protocol Omega captains brought earlier.

It's almost peaceful. Probably as peaceful as it could be, everything considered. His friends' soft voices lull him into a weak sense of security and while he doesn't sleep or really relax, Endou can at least let himself rest for a bit.

When the hour approaches midnight, the doors of the emergency room finally, _finally_ open.

Endou straightens, energy he doesn't really have sharpening his mind.

A doctor walks into the room, the double doors falling shut behind him, and looks around at all the people in the waiting room. He looks a little surprised but shakes it off, instead focusing on Endou, Gouenji and Kidou.

The man walks towards them and the three stand up, giving him tired but polite smiles. ''Should we wake them?'' asks Gouenji softly, shooting a look at all the teenagers.

Endou's first reaction is to say yes, but then he thinks the better of it. They're all exhausted and who knows what the news will be? ''Better to hear it first and wake them up later, if- if we feel it's necessary.''

If the surgery failed.

He doesn't dare say it, but they understand.

''Endou Mamoru-san?'' asks the doctor once he's reached them, voice low, mindful of the sleeping teenagers.

''That's me,'' replies the coach.

The doctor nods. ''There's good news and there's bad news,'' he says softly.

Endou inhales sharply and Gouenji places a hand on his shoulder. When the coach looks at him, his friend nods. _We're here._ Kidou doesn't say anything either, but he lets the back of his hand touch Endou's for a moment in silent support.

''The good news is that the surgery was successful,'' says the doctor after watching their exchange, thankfully not commenting on it. ''It was touch-and-go for a long time, but Matsukaze-kun is strong. He pulled through.''

Raimon's young coach wishes he could feel relieved at that, but the words _bad news_ keep echoing through his mind. ''But?'' his voice is hoarse and dry, and he swallows.

The older man sighs. ''I won't sugarcoat this. Matsukaze-kun is alive, but we don't know when, or rather if, he will wake up.''

Endou kind of feels like someone punched him in the stomach and knocked all the breath out of his body.

He feels himself nod shakily. ''I- I see,'' he whispers and Gouenji's hand on his shoulder tightens, while Kidou's fingers curl around his wrist lightly. ''What-''

He doesn't finish his question, but he doesn't need to, for the doctor smiles sympathetically. ''Matsukaze-kun is young and healthy, so we have hope he'll wake up again soon, but for now, he's in a coma. His body is still weak, but it'll heal. However, after that, it's all up to him. We're monitoring his condition constantly, and we will continue to do so, but there's nothing more we can do now.''

''I- thank you,'' he whispers, tightly shutting his eyes for a moment. ''Thank you,'' he repeats, opening his eyes again.

The doctor nods and his voice is just a tad gentler when he speaks again. ''We're moving him to a personal room for now. Would you like to visit him?''

''Yes,'' says Endou, perhaps a bit too fast, but he doesn't care. ''Yes, please, I- please,'' he settles on saying.

''I will send someone for you once you can see him.'' They thank the doctor again and he inclines his head, accepting their gratefulness. He disappears again through the double doors, leaving the three young men on their own.

The second the doors close behind the doctor, Gouenji is in front of Endou, embracing him tightly. Kidou's grip on his captain's wrist tightens, and the dark-haired man takes a shuddering breath.

''Oh my god,'' he whispers, pressing his eyes shut, ''oh my god, I- oh god-''

They lead him to the bench again, sitting down on either side of him. ''Endou,'' whispers Kidou, allowing his friend to sag against him.

Gouenji wraps an arm around Endou's shoulders tightly, his expression grim and his eyes pained. ''It's going to be okay,'' he mutters, offering all the meagre comfort he can. ''Tenma's strong, he'll pull through. He started a _revolution,_ he'll beat this too, you know he will.''

Kidou mentally curses the little they can do. He can barely imagine how his friend is feeling – he wouldn't even know what to do if something like this happened to one of Teikoku's players, and Endou is even _closer_ to Raimon than the commander is to his own team.

It makes him wonder how Gouenji is coping with all this, but the white-haired male seems to focus all his attention on comforting their friend, instead of giving in to his own grief.

They sit there for a while, huddled close together, and eventually the double doors open again. A nurse – female, this time – quietly enters the room, careful not to make too much noise. The doctor probably told her about the sleeping teenagers. ''Endou-san?'' she whispers and the man in question looks up. ''You can see Matsukaze-kun now.'' She shoots a look at Kidou and Gouenji. ''Your friends can come too.''

Gouenji releases a breath he didn't even know he was holding – he doesn't want to think about Endou having to do this on his own – and shoots the nurse a grateful look. ''Come on,'' he says softly, helping Raimon's coach to his feet.

The three friends follow the woman through a smaller door and through a bunch of corridors. Tenma's room is close, for barely a minute later, the nurse stops in front of a closed door. ''Here it is,'' she tells them softly, smiling supportively, and excuses herself.

They're left in the hall, and both Kidou and Gouenji wait for Endou to do something. The young coach stands in front of the door, his hands shaking, and breathes slowly. ''You okay?'' asks his white-haired friend softly.

''Yeah- yeah,'' he whispers and nods. He reaches out for the doorknob and his hand shakes. He touches the cool metal and hesitates for a slight second, but then opens the door and steps inside, followed by his friends.

The room is not as small as he expected, with white walls, a white ceiling and a white floor. There's a window in the opposite wall, the light blue curtains closed already, but that's not what any of them looks at.

No, they're all staring at the boy lying in the hospital bed in the middle of the room.

He's pale, even with his natural tan, and deadly still. A thick, white bandage around his head stands out sharply against his hair and he's surrounded and connected to countless tubes and wires. An oxygen mask covers his mouth and among the many pieces of medical equipment, there's a heart monitor, beeping steadily if slowly.

It would almost seem like the brunet is sleeping, but the rest of the scene makes it painfully obvious that he's _not._

Endou breathes out shakily and stumbles to the edge of the bed, falling in a chair at the bedside. His hands clutch his pants so tightly the skin is turning white and his eyes are trained on Tenma's peaceful – if it can be called that – face.

''Tenma…'' he breathes, hesitantly reaching for one of the brunet's hands. Gouenji and Kidou move closer, until they're standing behind Endou's chair, and Kidou takes note of the white-haired man's paleness and clenched fists.

Confronted with it like this, he can't push his own concern aside anymore.

So Kidou takes it upon himself to comfort his two friends, gentle fingers curling around Endou's shoulder and the back of a hand bumping softly against Gouenji's. He forces himself to keep his breathing even, despite the sheer _wrongness_ of the scene.

He may not be as close to the young brunet as his friends, but he _was_ his coach for a while and he can't deny the concern he feels.

Endou, having grabbed one of Tenma's hands, holds it lightly, careful not to move any of the needles in his skin.

There's a frailness to it that makes him feel nauseous.

The brunet looks so goddamn _small_ and _fragile,_ surrounded by all the machinery, his skin looking almost translucent and his face relaxed in a mockery of sleep.

It suddenly hits Endou that Tenma is only thirteen.

Thirteen.

A child, barely a teenager.

The coach tightens his grip on Tenma's hand slightly and clenches his eyes shut.

He can't even imagine the reactions from the team when they find out about this.

 _Wake up._

He opens his eyes again, staring at the brunet's motionless face.

 _Please, wake up. Raimon needs you._

 _They need you. You might not realize it, but you're the light that guides them._

 _They're lost without you, so please, please, wake up._

 _Wake up._

But Tenma's eyes stay relentlessly shut.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**

 **If anyone still has criticism on the main topic of this story: You could've known what it was about after the first chapter, so reading this chapter is completely your own decision and I am not responsible for it in any way, shape or form.**

 **Anyway, the second half of this chapter will be done... someday. Not sure when XD**

 **\- Yara Meijer**


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